Tasty Vegan French Toast with Almond Milk – The Best Advice

French toast is a world-renowned breakfast option consisting of sliced bread soaked in a mixture of milk and eggs and then toasted. They are generally sweet, but some people also make it by adding a pinch of salt and spices and serving it with tomato sauce or mayonnaise. The sweet version contains sugar, honey, maple syrup and butter, generally added as toppings.

The only drawback of this amazing dish is its ingredients, especially for people who follow a vegan diet. The batter is made from milk and eggs, and sometimes even cream. The toppings also generally have butter to give it rich flavor.

Here, we bring you the vegan version of this traditional French Toast using Almond Milk. Made from completely vegan-friendly food ingredients, you can enjoy French toast at your home especially without compromising on the quality, taste or nutrition.

Being one of the most sought after breakfast options, due to its delectable taste and ease of making, there are multiple variations of the French Toast that are popularly available.

We provide you with two of these variations: The Classic French Toast and the Pancake Style French Toast. Do read the description of them both to get a clearer picture of them, and relish the variant you are excited about. 

Classic French Toast

This is the traditional way of making a French toast, but with vegan ingredients. It is a simple, straight forward and no-nonsense recipe. Easy to make, and very few ingredients to be used, this recipe is the perfect way to start your day right with a delicious and power-packed meal to begin your day.

If you grew up eating non-vegan food and recently made the switch to veganism, you’ll realize, in terms of taste, this recipe is very close to the original one. 

Instructions

1. The first step is to prepare the batter. In a large bowl, whisk the almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt together till the batter reaches a thick and uniform consistency. 
2. To thicken the batter, you can add a mixture of flour and some nutritional yeast with a small amount of milk. Alternatively, you can also use corn starch as a thickening agent.
3. Since you already added nutritional yeast, the batter activates immediately, and you can use it right away. If you use corn starch alone, place the batter in the fridge for about ten to fifteen minutes and then use it.
4. Dip the bread in the batter, till it soaks up. First, place one side in the batter for about 30 seconds, and then flip it over for the other side and repeat. If you feel the bread is still a bit dry, soak longer. Make sure both sides are evenly coated with the batter.
5. Preheat the griddle with a drizzle of coconut oil till it reaches medium heat or about 400 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. When the griddle (or a pan, you can use anything as per your convenience) is hot enough, add the soaked bread slices and toast for a few minutes per side, until both sides turn golden brown.
6. The topping is simple. Stack the toasts and top them with a generous amount of maple syrup. Sprinkle some powdered sugar, and add a dab of vegan butter over it. Your classic vegan French toast is ready to dig into.

Pancake Styled French Toast

An amazing take on French toast is to go all out on toppings. The first step is the preparation of batter. You can either make the same batter used for making the classic French toast, or we’ll suggest you a simpler and healthier alternative way of making the batter.

What makes this version stand out is the overload of syrup, vegan cream, and fresh fruits topping. With the added creaminess and fruits on the top, you are going to relish every bite of this nutritious meal. So, if you have a sweet tooth, try this the version right away.

Instructions

1. First, take a big bowl to make the batter for the toast in. Pour the unsweetened almond milk, ground chia seeds, vanilla extract and cinnamon and whisk the contents till the ingredients are mixed well.
2. Next add agave syrup into the bowl, to sweeten the batter. Whisk the ingredients for a couple of minutes, and place the bowl in the fridge. Let the batter cool for at least ten to fifteen minutes, till the batter activates.
3. Before you place the toast over the griddle, preheat the griddle to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and with a few drops of coconut oil greased on top. 
4. Once the griddle is hot enough, dip the bread in the batter till it soaks properly. Leave each side of the bread soaked in the batter for about 15 seconds. 
5. Place the batter-soaked bread slices on the griddle. Once one side is slightly cooked, flip it over to the other side. Keep repeating this process every 20-30 seconds, until both sides are golden brown. This step should take about a couple of minutes per toast.
6. Serve these toasts while it is hot. Stack all toasts on a plate. Pour maple syrup and top it with a dollop of coconut whipped cream. You can also add in fresh fruits to the mix, like strawberries, bananas, kiwis, grapes that are halved, and even mangoes. Slice the fruits to bite-size pieces and place it over the French toasts and around it.  

7 Tips For Making Vegan French Toast:

Choose The Right Bread

It is essential to use good, sturdy bread for making the French toast. Unlike the traditional batter of milk, cream and eggs, the vegan batter is thinner in consistency.

So, normal bread may soak up very easily or break down and turn mushy once you dip them. If the bread is too thin, once it is soaked, it becomes very soggy. Hence make sure the bread is thick and sturdy. Ciabatta bread is generally used because it is thrift and will soak up more of the batter without falling apart. 

Experiment With Seasonings

You can play around with the seasoning as per your preference. If you want to make a savory, add salt, herbs and spices to the batter.

Want to make it sweeter? Just add more maple syrup or agave syrup to it. You can also use raisins and berries as garnishing. 

Grease Your Pan

The French toast tends to stick to the pan. Hence, it is advisable to grease the pan or griddle properly first. If you are using a pan, make sure it is the non-stick kind. Use coconut oil to grease it. You can also use any other vegetable oil.

Gluten Free French Toast

You can make it gluten-free by using whole wheat bread, gluten-free flour, etc. All ingredients we suggested to you, have a gluten-free version available in the stores.

Batter Consistency

You can also adjust the consistency of the batter by varying the amount of thickening agent you add to the batter. This is nothing but your chia seeds, or flour or your corn starch. Just ensure it is liquid form and does not form a thick porridge.

Use Fresh Batter

The batter for the recipe of the pancake styled French toast is made from chia seeds. Chia seeds have very good moisture absorbing ability, hence if you leave them out for too long, they tend to thicken in consistency.

Hence, it always advisable to use the freshly made batter for the process. As soon as you remove it from the fridge, dip the slices of bread in the batter and toast it on the griddle right away.

Cover Your Bread In Batter

It is advisable to soak even the sides or the crumbs of bread in the batter. You can do this by coating the edges by pouring drops of batter with a spoon. 

For all those vegans out there, who are wondering what to do about French toast, this recipe is a sure hit. As veganism is gaining popularity universally, so are vegan alternatives to all cuisines and dishes. Watch this space closely for more vegan recipes coming your way.